Digimon Adventure 02: The Alternate Destiny - Before End
by HappytheExceed
Summary: Part 2: Yagami Yuuko noticed the presence of a certain white kitty in her daughter's room. She is just pretending not to know her children's involvement with Digimon. Her children doesn't trust her like their friends, Koushirou & Sora trust their parents with the secret. Taichi tries to cover up. However, his fear did not escape her eyes. If only she can keep him from harm.
1. Before End

**A special chapter from the story, The Alternate Destiny. In line of the upcoming climax and plot bunnies inspired by Truenovel91's review, I came up with this one-shot. **

**Not sure if I should post this before I end that main story but I thought it will be fun to write about what had been going on with that certain character and to speculate what happened before the official ending and how the curse came about. **

**I'll be grateful to see reviews. Thank you for reading. **

* * *

**Digimon Adventure 02: The Alternate Destiny - Before End**

***End March 2004***

It was the day of graduation for majority of the Chosen Children. Both Odaiba Elementary and Middle High were crowded with the graduates and the family taking photos with one another.

"Sora-san!" An energetic voice came of a familiar girl was heard. Takenouchi Sora who was distracted chatting with her friends looked out to the direction where the voice came from. It was Miyako in the same uniform they were in. No matter how Sora looked at her, she looked weird in green. It could not be helped as it was not like she could change the colour of their uniform.

"Miyako-chan! What brings you here?" Sora greeted the girl in spectacle who came over, Inoue Miyako.

"I was in the Elementary visiting my cute little juniors who are going to join us next month. It's just sad that Sora-san and the rest are heading to the High School. I wish we can meet more often." Miyako commented pointing her finger on her chin in thought at the sight of the back her jogress partner, Yagami Hikari running out of the school. Hikari had left as soon as the ceremony ended. Her best friends, Motomiya Daisuke and Takaishi Takeru shook their heads in response signaling Miyako not to follow her. It had been this way all these while so leave her alone. Not just Hikari, she was concerned about the lack of presence of another person as well.

"Come to think of it, where is Yamato-san?" Miyako nudged Sora by her shoulder teasingly. They should be together. They were an item.

Sora turned her head to the opposite direction trying to see through the crowd. Yamato was nowhere in sight. She had not seen him at all after the presentation.

* * *

Ishida Yamato tightened his grip on the Middle High School certificate walking down the street solemnly with his favourite guitar on his back.

He was in one of the parks in Odaiba where he observed the surrounding.

"There is no meaning to it." He muttered to himself. He turned his gaze up and saw one of his close friend Izumi Koushirou walking towards him. He nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"I know you'll come here." Koushirou exclaimed placing his right hand in his pocket.

"This is after all where you challenged Demon who managed to escape from the Dark Ocean back then." Koushirou continued. Yamato kept a mocking sigh to himself before looking up to the sky.

"Koushirou, do you think we can ever change destiny?" Yamato suddenly asked Koushirou who blinked in confusion reminded of the same question from a certain important friend.

"I'm sure he's still fighting hard somewhere."

***Flashback***

_***28 December 2002***_

_That day Yamato had lost his mind with tears beaming in his eyes running down the street following the signal of a Digivice stained with blood. Gabumon who was extremely worried and anxious ran after him._

_"How dare he? Demon. I'm going to kill you." Yamato gritted his teeth._

* * *

_"Everyone, have you seen Yamato-san?" Koushirou raised his voice asking the younger group of Chosen Children, Takeru, Hikari and Miyako. They were carrying their wounded Digimon who were tired from the chase of Oikawa._

_"He is just as rash." Tentomon could not help but to comment. "Koushirou-han, what should we do?"_

_"I don't have time to explain. Demon had escaped from the Dark Ocean and Yamato-san is running after him. He lost his cool and I'm afraid he had lost his reasoning." Koushirou explained quickly to his junior._

_"Oniichan, he…" Takeru reconfirmed his understanding._

_Explosion had occurred not far from they were._

_"Yamato…" Koushirou realized in fear. Seemed that he had found Demon and engaged him to a battle. Gabumon had obtained some power from Qinglongmon to enable him to evolve into the Ultimate form._

* * *

_"You smell the same as him. You're as powerful." The Demon Lord Digimon began. Yamato clenched his fist enraged with tears beaming in his eyes. He had done everything he could to defy fate. To think he had appeared at the most unexpected time._

_"Well, well… When you Chosen Children think you can defeat my subordinates and get away unscratched, I had intended to prove you wrong. In order to prove my point, I just have to eliminate the strongest Chosen Child as a deterrent to you Chosen Children." The unrobed Demon began to approach Yamato._

_"Don't you touch Yamato!" MetalGarurumon stood in front of Yamato not forgetting to turn his focus on the infuriated boy. Demon was trying to provoke Yamato._

_"Tsk… the feeling you are having is just like how I feel when I lost my comrades one by one at the hands of your comrades." Demon continued provoking Yamato further._

_"Yamato, don't be manipulated by his words. You're stronger than this..." MetalGarurumon reminded only to be tossed by the incoming Demon aside lightly. MetalGarurumon yelped in pain when he crashed to the ground at the other side._

_Demon approached Yamato whose expression was unreadable. He was not going to move because of fear._

_"Yamato!" MetaGarurumon tried to snap his partner out of his distraction. He would not be able to save him from where he was on time. Demon seemed to have sensed malice that he dodged away from Yamato._

_"Positron Laser!"_

_It was Imperialdramon who had arrived to help Yamato. Daisuke and Ken came running over with Iori and Armadimon._

_"Yamato-senpai! Are you alright?" Daisuke approached his senior who was in shock anxiously. Yamato's tears fell heavily down his cheek uncontrollably._

**_"Yamato… don't blame yourself… it's my destiny." A hand fell limp to the bed and a long extended beep sound echoed in his mind._**

_"It's my fault. I should have done more to prevent the troop from approaching the site during the chase with Oikawa Yukio." Iori clutched his head in tears in regret. He had stopped the tank but foot soldiers were not in his consideration to stop them from approaching the area. _

_"It wasn't your fault, Iori. That guy was under controlled by Demon to take out people who trespassed the restricted area and he happened to be a marksman, dagyaa." Armadimon tried to comfort the terrified boy._

_"That soldier has enough darkness in his heart to be easily controlled by Demon." Ken said in a deep voice filled with resentment. He had been corrupted by the power of dark seed so he could understand how that guy felt when he heard he was asking for forgiveness from a pair of desperate parents crying and screaming at him back then. A part of him could not forgive him but he could never forgive the puppet-master Demon._

_Demon was trying to provoke them. Daisuke talked himself to remain calm. After going through quite a number of battles, he learnt through experience that facing an enemy while losing their cool was not an option. Glancing the surrounding area, there did not seem to be people around. MetalGarurumon returned to Yamato's side._

_"Go get him, Imperialdramon." Daisuke ordered. Demon laughed amused by human's emotion._

_"Human's mind is weak. They can be manipulated easily. You can't blame me for it. I believe you heard that all is fair in love and war. With that in mind, I shall not play with you today." Demon gave out a sinister laugh before sinking into the ground back into the shadow. He directed his last words to Ken to provoke him. _

_"I'll come for you, Ichijouji Ken. You should be glad that I decided to keep you alive for I still have use for your dark seed despite your status as a prototype D3 holder." His laugh echoed in the air when Koushirou and the rest came running towards them. Back then, Ken did not understand what he meant by prototype Digivice and its function until he met Wallace, another prototype Digivice holder a year later. _

_The Digimon reverted to their Child forms in daze not knowing how to react. Ken gathered Wormmon back into his arms._

_"That bastard." Daisuke muttered in fury. Tears welled up his eyes. He could not believe what he had heard earlier. How was he going to break the news to the confused Hikari who was still trying to understand the situation?_

_"The next time, we'll get him." Ken decided walking to his side. V-mon nodded solemnly in agreement._

* * *

_***A few hours ago before the clash with Demon***_

_"Watch out!"_

_A teenage boy in blue trench coat with bear paw print, Yagami Taichi was engrossed in watching the battle up in the sky around Mount Fuji. Two WarGreymon were busy fighting each other. The yellow WarGreymon used his brave shield to block the incoming attack from the WarGreymon in black, BlackWarGreymon._

_They were fighting to stop BlackWarGreymon from killing Oikawa Yukio in hope that they could get him to remove the dark seed from the infected children. Two WarGreymon dropped out from his view soon after._

_The boy decided to run after the two Digimon. The battle was decided anyway. He knew what was going to happen. This was an event he could not do anything about it since he did not have enough power to stop that event from happening in the first place. In order to let the others grow, he would let nature to take his course. Something good would come with these experiences._

_He ran in the woods to get back to the main road. Never did he realise that someone was watching his move through lenses. It was not within his calculation._

_"Take him out." An sinister voice ranged in the sniper's controlled mind. The sniper who stared at the boy blankly pulled the trigger of the rifle which clicked._

_The teenage boy was stopped in his step when he heard something he would only hear from TV. He recognized it as a gunshot._

_At that moment, he thought he saw something red sputtered from his left chest and he took a sharp raspy breath when he felt something small and piercing tore through and broke something within him._

_His right hand found his way unconsciously to his chest when he felt something warm and sticky seeping through his finger. The same liquid was felt running down his chest. The boy did not know how he managed to raise his head to only see a terrified soldier who discarded something known as rifle before scrambling away in fear, realizing what he had done._

_"Blood?" The confused boy raised his hand to take a look unable to believe what he was seeing before he found himself falling on to his back with a thud in the ground covered with snow. He did not know since when the pain started. The pain was agonising. It felt really wrong. He felt weaker as he barely registered in his mind when the red liquid pooled around him dying the white snow red._

_It was his own blood. The boy placed his trembling hand on the source in disbelief trying to apply pressure to the wound and grimaced in pain. He was hit by a bullet. The bullet hole led right to where his heart was and every irregular heartbeat was pumping out more blood from his chest. The boy began to cough out blood. He felt hot tears flowing down the corner of his eyes._

_Was that despair he was feeling?_

_Taichi gripped his Digivice in his trench coat pocket with his other hand tightly when a Digimon came before him._

* * *

_"Why did you have to shoot him? Why?" A woman scream was heard down the hospital corridor. "My boy was innocent!" The woman attempted to hit the man who was kneeling before her trying to seek her forgiveness when her husband hugged her to stop her._

_"Leave now!" Mr. Yagami urged the man who was suspended from his job and undergoing investigation from this incident. He was not able to deal with the situation right now. His mind was in a blank when he received the call from the hospital. No matter how mischievous his son could be, being shot by a sniper was the last thing he had expected to hear happened to his son._

_The man nodded and left unable to avert his eyes off the bright red surgery light. He prayed that the boy would survive this miraculously for he was a marksman and never missed his shot to a vital point. He was the one who called for an ambulance to get the boy to the hospital as soon as he came back to his senses._

_"Mr. and Mrs. Yagami!" Koushirou ran to the pair of agitated parents. He heard that their son was shot by a sniper for trespassing a restricted area. If anything, they could have arrested him instead of going to the drastic measure of shooting him._

_"How is Taichi?" Yamato who came together with Koushirou glanced up at the light on top of the door. The word "surgery" was especially glaring at him. Jou and Sora were not informed about this as some of them needed to continue with their missions without being affected by the news._

_Koushirou felt it was for the best for them not to know. Hikari, Takeru and Miyako had not returned when Koushirou and Yamato decided to take off coming up with an excuse after Yamato received a call from his father._

_Agumon was hiding in the corner in tears. He had a really bad feeling during and after the battle with BlackWarGreymon and he could not find Taichi after he was reunited with Daisuke, Ken and Iori with V-mon and Wormmon who were told to meet up with Gabumon and Tentomon in the Digital World. He had failed his partner. He should never let him out of his sight after all the warning and anxiety his partner was having to the extent of muttering about whether he could change his destiny in his sleep._

_That was when Agumon realized Taichi had expected this to happen. He covered his mouth with his claw and sobbed to himself._

_"Taichi is strong. He will make it through." Yamato tried to comfort everyone despite his anxiety._

_It felt like an eternity to the group when the light turned off and the doctor came out of the operating theatre._

_Mrs. Yagami almost fainted on her husband's arms after hearing the doctor's words while shaking his head. Yamato and Koushirou could not believe what they would hear_

_"I'm sorry. We had done our best. Even though we managed to remove all the bullet shards, the patient's injury is too serious. His heart was proforated. He had lost too much blood and gone into shock for a while. He had done a great job for holding out until now, others would have already... It's best for you to see him now while he is awake. I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left."_

_Taichi was lying deathly still on the bed in ICU with oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. The heart monitor was beeping slowly and irregularly in response to the damage caused to his heart. Even if Koushirou did not know much of the apparatus used as curious he could be, he could see that he was on life support with some machine helping him to filter and pump his blood all over his body on behalf of his damaged heart._

_Taichi could barely open his eyes when he heard sobbing around him. He raised his hand weakly wanting to comfort whoever was crying. There was no need to cry. All living things would die eventually. He was just leaving earlier. Even so, the truth was he was scared. His mother knew him the best._

_"Taichi, how are you feeling?" Mrs. Yagami cried grabbing her boy's hand which was trying to reach for her tightly not wanting to let go._

_"Don't be afraid, you'll get well soon. The doctor will heal you like they always do." She was trying to comfort her dying son by ruffling his huge and messy hair like she always do when he was sick. She was doing her best to cover up her grief. Taichi nodded weakly in response to comfort his mother. Tears fell from the corner of Taichi's eyes when he spotted something at the corner of his eyes._

_"A-Agu-mon." Taichi struggled to get his words out through his oxygen mask when he barely made out the orange reptile Digimon at the door with his failing sight. He could feel the familiar sensation of his body shutting down. That was the death he had been going through again and again in different lives different dimension and this one was not an exception. This time round, he had failed to change his destiny as well._

_"Taichi!" The Digimon ran over not caring whether he would scare the adults. Taichi needed him right now as much as he needed him._

_"D-De-mon…" Taichi tried to get his words out with his muffled voice desperately. He wanted to warn them against him. Yamato widened his eyes._

_"Demon? Weren't you shot by the damn soldier?" Yamato tried to clarify despite being in the presence of his unknowing parents who was still trying to get used to the existence of Digimon. He could see Taichi's tears of resentment falling down his cheek. He had always believe what Taichi was trying to tell him about the curse about his doomed destiny and how he was trying to avert the fate of dying from a wound or illness to his heart. Besides, it was too early. They had yet to face BelialVamdemon and Demon should appear in 2003. Taichi shook his head weakly attempting to remove the oxygen mask trying to say something._

* * *

_A shadow loomed over the boy who was struggling to stay awake as long as he could till help arrived. His eyes widened in terror when he recognised the Digimon which came for him. It was too early to face him. _

_"I had wanted to give you a painless death but you are not allowed to live as your Digivice is a threat to our existence. I'll need to ensure your death, boy. Don't worry, it will all be over soon, I could have cremate you if I want to, just treat this as a concession…"_

_Taichi's painful scream echoed in the air as the Digimon stuck his claw deep in his chest where the bullet hit earlier breaking the bullet in his heart into shards._

* * *

_"T-that's why… this… is … my destiny. " Taichi started coughing and the line in the heart monitor was erratic signaling his heart was struggling to function but it was too damaged to work like it had been before._

_"Taichi, that's enough don't talk. Be a good boy. You'll be fine after some rest." Mr. Yagami who stood beside his wife was frantically trying to calm his exasperated son down placing the oxygen mask back over his nose and mouth to ease his pain. Taichi's mother continued to ruffle his hair gently to comfort him. _

_This was so unlike their son. He was usually active and energetic. __The couple could not stop their tears from falling considering how badly hurt their son was. H____is face had lost all colours and he looked so frail. _He was still well when he went out in the morning.

_"Yes, Taichi-san, you should rest and tell us when you feel better." Koushirou tried to be optimistic believing that his friend would make it and recover. Taichi shook his head knowing that it was futile. He knew his body. He must finish what he wanted to say before his heart gave out on him anytime now. He struggled to catch his breath to get his words out._

_"Yamato, A-g-gumon… don't blame yourself… it's my destiny… Win… the… battle against… Demon, ok? I really wish I can see… everyone… with a… smile on... their... face… the next time I wake u…p." Taichi knew that winning against BelialVamdemon should not be a problem but Demon would be another matter since he failed._

_Taichi struggled to smile when he closed his eyes in tears and his head lolled to the other side. He was no longer in pain as he breathed his last feeling his life leaving him. His hands held by Mrs. Yagami and Agumon fell limp on his side. Both Yamato and Koushirou could never forget the long extended beep line echoing in their mind as long as they were alive as it signaled their friend's abrupt departure from the world of living. Taichi was never coming back. They did not know how much time had passed as they watched how Mr., Mrs. Yagami and Agumon cried over his body._

* * *

_Yamato felt something in Taichi's pocket of his bloodied trench coat when he was helping his parents gathered his belonging. It was Taichi's Digivice which was covered with his blood. It was beeping despite the loss of its owner. Yamato took it on his hands and saw the dark signal and he was aware that it was emitted by Demon. The Digivice must be reacting to Taichi's last wish to defeat Demon._

_Yamato in fury decided to run after Demon on his own when Daisuke, Ken and Iori came over with taking Gabumon and Tentomon back to the Real World as requested by their partners. Gabumon leaped into action knowing his partner well. Taichi had shared his unbelievable secret with Yamato and Gabumon knew how much Yamato wanted to protect Taichi and to prevent his dreadful future but for that to happen before the destined time had taken him by surprise. Yamato felt that he had failed Taichi._

* * *

_After Demon had retreated, Yamato sank to his knees and started crying when Sora came to take him into her arms trying to comfort him despite herself still in shock after hearing what happened from a stuttering Jou when she received news of her childhood best friend's sudden passing from his father._

_Hikari could not believe her ears after hearing from a crying Daisuke about what happened to her brother. They had just gone to the Digital World together that morning and she would never have thought that that was the last time she saw of him well and alive._

_It did not have to end that way._

***End Flashback***

After everything they had been through including the defeat of Demon by Omegamon formed from the common wish of her late brother and Yamato, Hikari was seen before her brother's grave daily to keep him company hoping that her brother would not feel lonely. She blamed herself for not staying with him, running after Oikawa instead and she was not even with him at his last moment in the hospital. Her brother died tragically.

"Oniichan, I'm sorry." Hikari choked in her tears.

"Hikari..." Tailmon tried to comfort her partner who was covering her mouth crying her eyes out. If only they were strong enough to take Demon out back then instead of sealing him in the Dark Ocean.

Daisuke, Takeru and their partner Digimon had witnessed this scene for so many times that they could not count. They saw Taichi as a great elder brother they respected very much. They would continue to watch over Hikari on his behalf.

* * *

That was the 669th end he was forced to face as the curse given by a certain when he activated that certain Crest which appeared to him during the fateful battle. The teenage boy was seen kneeling before many clocks with most of them stopped and damaged due to one reason or another. He opened his eyes knowing that he had failed again. That was one of the earliest death he went through, dying in 2002 at the age of 14. So far, he never lived past the age of 19.

The only time he succeeded in his 437th attempt, he had to give up his memories and lived the rest of his life with the memories of "Takenouchi Taichi" surviving the assault of Demon after his five years long coma. Deep down, he knew that was not the best ending for he was destined to hold the Crest of Darkness on top of Courage after being deleted and reconfigured by the Digital World once.

Taichi grabbed his Digivice tight. Feeling determined, he decided to give it another go. Despite being dealt with countless despair, Taichi was hopeful. He believed that there would be somewhere he could finally break out of that dreadful destiny.

* * *

The game master was angry feeling hot tears running down his cheek. The only way to have any chance of defeating this destiny was to defeat that time-manipulating monster, Milleniumon first. He would be the one with the prototype Digivice together with his fellow tamer, the Legendary Tamer with a prototype D-Arc and his good friend with a prototype D3, the former Digimon Kaiser to challenge and stop him from changing the fates of other dark Digimon.

* * *

**Just FYI, prototype Digivices was the concept in my two stories, The Alternate Adventure and the Alternate Destiny, the first of the Digivice models. One of it was a special case which will be explored in a chapter in The Alternate Destiny I have yet to update. In my setting, Wallace, Ken, Taichi and Ryo has such Digivices which poses a threat to the Dark Digimon. **

**I always find that the enemy Digimon is stupid even if they have good chance to win their battles. That's why they are shows for us when we were younger but I often try to think how the bad guys feel and what they could do to try and win too. **


	2. Yuuko's Insecurity

**I had always wanted to explore what Taichi and Hikari's mother had in her mind watching them heading to their battles. This story was as based on the setting in "Before End". Taking the premise of Taichi was dying and how hard his mother was taking this. Which mother wouldn't be hurt to see her children hurt so badly.**

**Reviews are appreciated. Will love to see how you think.**

* * *

**The Alternate Destiny - Before End: Yuuko's ****Insecurity**

***1999***

She was just a normal woman, wife and mother of two kids. She had a normal husband who worked for bread and butter and she was a housewife taking care of household chores and her two normal children, a son and a daughter.

All she wanted was her family to be healthy and happy. A normal lifestyle was all she wanted.

Other than going through the so-called terrorist attack in 1994 in Hikarigaoka, she thought all was normal until the fated summer in 1999. Her daughter was sick at home. She felt a little insecure for leaving her little girl at home alone when she needed to head to the department store to grab something. She wished her son was home to take care of his sister but he was out in a summer camp. In a way, she was glad. Even though he had learnt his lesson, she was unable to forget the nightmare how her only daughter almost died because of her brother's carelessness taking her out to play soccer when she was sick.

That boy was not a bad boy in the first place. He just thought that playing soccer could heal any ailment like it happened to him. Back then he was too young to know. Taichi was not in good health before he was 7 and started playing soccer. Maybe it was her fault. She was not in good health when she had them.

Yagami Yuuko was bewildered when her son came back for a hug in tears. He was out for a camp for merely a day before they were sent back. That was around the time when her normal lifestyle was disrupted when monsters known as Digimon started rampaging the city. She was horrified to see an orange dinosaur taking her two children away right before her eyes. She was afraid he would eat them. It was until her son's childhood best friend, Takenouchi Sora's explanation she was a little relieved but not quite.

Many events had happened throughout the 3rd Aug. The eight children, following the rainbow light was taken to another world known as the Digital World which could be seen from their night sky. It was a world filled with monsters. They had a mission to save the Digital World. She prayed that they would return safely.

"Taichi... Hikari..."

* * *

***2002***

It was three years later and their lives had returned back to normal. She thought so except that her children had changed. They had somehow grown up overnight since the adventure. Her son, Taichi no longer rushed into things without thinking while Hikari was no longer as sickly as before. They had grown up brilliantly. Yagami Yuuko smiled observing her two children helping out in the kitchen.

Even so, she realized that they were keeping something from her. It was most likely about Digimon. She and her husband were still trying to get used to the existence of the Digimon. She often spotted a white cat leaping into Hikari's room trying her best to get out of her sight. She wondered about a certain orange dinosaur which had protected her kids three years ago.

Every 1 to 3 August after 1999, her kids would be roaming around most likely having a reunion picnic somewhere. Yuuko noticed one or two new kids after calling in to Taichi's room when she came back from her errand. One of them she recognised him as Hikari's classmate, Daisuke-kun who often played soccer with Taichi. Yuuko found it bizarre that Taichi had even given his most prized goggle to him. No matter how much they were trying to hide things from her, somehow, she felt that they were still involved with the monsters which appeared in Odaiba. She prayed for their safety considering Taichi came back badly injured three years ago.

Yuuko found herself in Taichi's room as she decided not to interrupt her daughter with the white cat. It was not that she exercised favourtism. She loved both her children altogether. She sat by Taichi's bed. The boy was sound asleep. She wondered what he was dreaming at times mumbling about fate and destiny. Maybe he was scarred by the event in the Digital World for he ended up in the hospital for three weeks recovering from his injuries with broken ribs.

* * *

In winter, news of monsters spotted was heard during the time of Christmas. Yuuko was worried that her children were involved. She had heard from Yoshie and Toshiko about what the group of children was up to. They were trying to save the world once more. Yuuko could only sigh that her children unlike Koushirou and Sora, did not trust her enough to share with her about it.

On the day when the kidnapping and the mysterious disappearance of children occurred, Hikari was home late and Taichi was trying his best to cover for her by coming home early. Even though the older teenager, Kido Shuu had apologized about bringing her home late. They were her children, they could not fool her.

Taichi rushed back for his dishes in an attempt to avoid the subject when she questioned him about it while Hikari was in a bath. She hugged her boy from his back causing the boy to get all flustered. All the sudden, she got a really bad feeling. It was not Hikari but it was Taichi she was worried about. She felt that he was going to somewhere faraway she could not reach. It was not like three years ago when Taichi landed in the hospital with broken ribs. This time, he would really leave them for good.

"I'll be fine, okaasan." Taichi suddenly said feeling his mother's warmth assuring her. He had a peaceful expression when he said that with a small smile on his face. She noticed Taichi had a lot in mind lately and that night she overheard him mumbling about something in his dream.

_"I'll defeat Demon and survive... I want to live happily with everyone…" _Yuuko noticed a drop of tear trickling down Taichi's cheek. She kissed her sleeping boy in the forehead that night. Yuuko had often did that as a concern for Taichi's well-being.

* * *

On that fateful day, Taichi was busy typing messages using a device she never seen on sale in the market, possibly to his friends who was involved with the monsters or maybe Hikari. They were discussing about keeping a group of children under surveillance. Taichi lowered his volume frantically when he noticed her eavesdropping a conversation with Koushirou. She overheard that he was planning to go to what he called the "Digital World" and he needed Hikari to accompany him.

"Taichi?" Yuuko called out to him when he was about to leave the apartment after hanging up. She was sweeping the floor.

"Yes, Okaasan?" Taichi gave her a huge smile. Yuuko knew he was obviously trying to wiggle his way out. However, Yuuko had a really bad feeling.

"Can you stay home to look after the house today? Your dad had forgotten his key. Hikari had gone out with her friends. I'm going to your Grandma's house and won't be back till late." Somehow, she felt that she had to make Taichi stay at home. Something would happen if she did not.

"But I need to help Koushirou with his homework and I need to help Yamato to pick up his repaired guitar which was broken." Taichi came up with excuses quickly but it was plain lousy.

"Taichi!" Yuuko raised her voice.

"Okaasan, please trust me." Taichi suddenly said in a serious tone. She could see that his clenched fist was trembling. Yuuko realised there were things he needed to do but he just could not say it out loud. He did not trust her enough. All the sudden, Yuuko dropped her broom and pulled him into a hug.

"Taichi, please be careful and stay safe." Yuuko said in a gentle tone. Upon hearing the words, Taichi who was stiffened by her sudden action became relaxed and buried his face in her arms like he did when he came home three years ago.

The mother and son remained like this for some time until Taichi decided that he needed to go.

"Thank you, okaasan. I'm going now." Taichi choked out before he released himself from her arms and ran off. For a brief second, Yuuko thought she saw his tears which he was hiding from her.

"Have a safe trip!" Yuuko supported her body with the broom while watching her son's from his back as he disappeared from her line of sight.

"Taichi..." She called his name softly.

She was right with her bad feeling when she received a call from the hospital a few hours later.

Taichi was shot in cold blood.

* * *

She was desperate when she saw her son with pale and bloodied face. His torso especially his chest area was covered with so much blood. He had lost his consciousness by the time he reached the hospital and he was barely breathing through the oxygen mask when he was wheeled into the operating theatre. Yuuko almost could not recognise him. He looked so much different from a few hours ago. Just who was the boy lying on a gurney? Did he just happen to have the same features, same huge brown hair, and in the same attire as her son?

It felt like the day when Hikari was sent to the hospital and almost died of pneunomia but this was even worse.

"Why did you have to shoot him? Why?"

"My boy was innocent!" The woman attempted to hit the man who was kneeling before her trying to seek her forgiveness when her husband hugged her to stop her. The last thing she would have expected from was her son was shot by a sniper rifle. Just where did he go earlier to be caught trespassing a restricted zone.

"Leave now!" Her husband Susumu urged the man who was suspended from his job and undergoing investigation from this incident.

"Mr. and Mrs. Yagami!" Koushirou, a close friend of Taichi, ran to the pair of agitated parents. He heard that their son was shot by a sniper for trespassing a restricted area. If anything, they could have arrested him instead of going to the drastic measure of shooting him.

"How is Taichi?" Ishida Yamato, another close friend of Taichi came together with Koushirou glanced up at the light on top of the door. The word "surgery" was especially glaring at him.

Even though it was brief, Yuuko spotted the orange dinosaur hiding behind the wall while crying in her husband's arms. He was the Digimon who was supposed to be staying close to Taichi like the white kitty was with Hikari. Surely he was able to grow into a dinosaur in a bigger size like he did three years ago in order to protect her children. Why was he not there to protect Taichi?

"Taichi is strong. He will make it through." Yamato tried to comfort everyone.

It felt like an eternity to the group when the light turned off and the doctor came out of the operating theatre.

Yuuko almost fainted on her husband's arms after hearing the doctor's words while shaking his head.

"I'm sorry. We had done our best. Even though we managed to remove all the bullet shards, the patient's injury is too serious. His heart was proforated. He had lost too much blood and gone into shock for a while. He had done a great job for holding out until now, others would have already... It's best for you to see him now while he is awake. I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left."

Her boy was lying deathly still on the bed in ICU with oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. The heart monitor was beeping slowly and irregularly in response to the damage caused to his heart. Her heart lurched to see her son in so much pain. His face had lost all colours and he looked so frail. He was still well when he went out in the morning. She could not stop tears from falling down her cheek. He was her flesh and blood. How could she not cry?

Taichi could barely open his eyes when he heard sobbing around him. He raised his hand weakly wanting to comfort whoever was crying. Yuuko knew he was scared. She had after all overheard the fear he spoke of in his dream.

"Taichi, how are you feeling?" Yuuko cried grabbing her son's hand which was trying to reach for her tightly not wanting to let go.

"Don't be afraid, you'll get well soon. The doctor will heal you like they always do." She was trying to comfort her dying son by ruffling his huge and messy hair like she always did when he was sick and when he was groaning in pain while recovering in the hospital three years ago. She was doing her best to cover up her grief. It really pained her to see her children in pain. She could see Taichi nodded weakly. Tears fell from the corner of Taichi's eyes when he suddenly called out a name.

"A-Agu-mon." Taichi struggled to get his words out through his oxygen mask. That was the name of the orange dinosaur.

"Taichi!" The Digimon ran over not caring whether he would scare the adults. Taichi needed him right now as much as he needed him.

"Demon? Weren't you shot by the damn soldier?" Yamato tried to clarify despite being in the presence of his unknowing parents who was still trying to get used to the existence of Digimon.

So it was that Demon Taichi was mumbling about in his dream had hurt him.

Taichi shook his head weakly attempting to remove the oxygen mask trying to say something while in tears.

"T-that's why… this… is … my destiny. " Taichi started coughing and the line in the heart monitor was erratic signaling his heart was struggling to function but it was too damaged to work like it had been before.

"Taichi, that's enough don't talk. Be a good boy. You'll be fine after some rest." Her husband was frantically trying to calm his exasperated son down placing the oxygen mask back over his nose and mouth to ease his pain. Yuuko could only continue to ruffle his hair gently to comfort him praying for miracle. She would do anything to exchange for her son's recovery.

"Yes, Taichi-san, you should rest and tell us when you feel better." Koushirou tried to console Taichi. Taichi shook his head seemingly knowing that it was futile.

"Yamato, A-g-gumon… don't blame yourself… it's my destiny… Win… the… battle against… Demon, ok? I really wish I can see… everyone… with a… smile on... their... face… the next time I wake u…p."

Taichi struggled to smile when he closed his eyes in tears and his head lolled to the other side. Yuuko's mind turned blank when Taichi's hand fell limp from her grip.

_"I'll be fine, Mother."_

_"Okaasan, please trust me." _

The image of Taichi's peaceful smile when he said that flashed across her mind. She was unable to react when she heard the extended beep sound from the heart monitor she usually heard from TV drama signaling the end of life. She could not believe that happened to her boy. He was too young and he was supposed to have a bright future ahead. Just what did Taichi do to deserve this? No matter what, this punishment was too severe for a young boy like him.

_"I want to live happily with everyone…"_

"No, Taichi, my boy. Open your eyes and tell me you're kidding please? Don't sleep here. Let's go home. Hikari is waiting."Yuuko shook her head desperately grabbing his hand in denial. However, her boy who had just passed on peacefully on the hospital bed would never hear her.

She totally lost it when she saw Taichi's torn and bloodied trench coat after Yamato took off in fury for some reason bumping into her in the process. She burst into tears being reminded how much blood Taichi had lost and how much pain he was put through by that cold blooded bullet before he died. Couldn't take it any longer, she passed out on her husband's arms.

* * *

***2005***

Until now, it felt like Taichi was at home helping out with her housework yesterday. Yagami Yuuko stared at the empty balcony. She turned her head briefly hoping that Taichi who was wearing an apron busy with his cooking in the kitchen would turn over to her reassuring her that everything was alright with a huge smile plastered over his face.

If only she managed to make him stay at home that day. If only she did not believe in him. Even if he was made to hate her, at least he would be still well and alive. Yuuko really missed him.

She had fallen into depression and was not in the right mind. At times, she could not recall names or what she was doing or she would recognize other boys such as Koushirou or Daisuke as her lost son. She was made to see a psychiatrist to try and get over the grief of her son's tragic death.

"Mother, please stay here for a while. I'll be heading to the convenience store to pick up something." Hikari smiled gently as she sat her down by the bench in the park. She just accompanied her to an appointment with the psychiatrist. Yuuko nodded slowly seemingly understood her words. As she watched people going on with the activities in the park, a lot went on in her mind.

Time flew. Hikari was at the age when Taichi left them. She grew taller and was actually home less often. Yuuko was pretending not to know, she was aware that the kitty was still hanging around with her. Hikari must be still involved despite her countless plea to stop hanging around with the so-called Chosen Children. All for the sake of defending the peace between the two worlds. Her thought was interrupted when she thought she heard something.

Yuuko suddenly stood up and looked around. Tears fell uncontrollably down her eyes. She could hear him even though it was vague. She could hear the voice she missed badly fading softly in the wind. A really faint image of Taichi was seen to be giving his mother a kiss to her forehead with a peaceful and blessed expression.

_"I'm sorry. Thank you, okaasan..."_

Yuuko smiled looking up at the blue sky for the very first time since her son's death. Somehow, she felt it very strongly, that there would be somewhere her Taichi would be able live happily in peace.


End file.
